Kirsten eyes Sri Lanka Test turnaround despite India defeat

Sri Lanka head coach Gary Kirsten remains optimistic about his team's Test cricket future, even after a 165-run loss to India in the opening Test at Galle. Kirsten stated that the team is "starting to build some shape" and needs more opportunities in the longest format to develop consistency.

“

It's sometimes tough when you don't play much Test cricket to understand how you need to play.

"It's sometimes tough when you don't play much Test cricket to understand how you need to play," Kirsten said. He noted that this was Sri Lanka's third Test in a couple of months, and he could already see development. However, he stressed the need to "turn it into a performance at some point," emphasizing the importance of consistently taking 20 wickets and developing both seam and spin bowling capabilities.

“

This is our third Test in the space of a couple of months, and I can already see the team developing. And we're starting to build some shape into the team, but we need to turn it into a performance at some point.

Sri Lanka had limited Test experience entering the match, with this being their first home Test in 14 months. Kirsten identified the top-order batting as the main issue, pointing to collapses in both innings. "Where we probably lost the game was losing wickets up front in both innings. You can't afford that in Test cricket, especially when the opposition has hit 460-odd," he explained. He praised the bowling effort, stating that if a couple of catches had been taken, the game's complexion might have changed.

“

You need to be able to get 20 wickets consistently, bowl teams out with your seam, and be able to bowl teams out with spin as well. It's really important that we develop that Test match squad.

Looking ahead, Kirsten believes Sri Lanka's upcoming schedule, with six more Tests in the next six months, will provide the necessary consistency for the team to grow as a Test side. He highlighted the challenge for modern players, particularly in Sri Lanka, due to infrequent Test matches, and expressed hope that more games will help players learn to score runs, bat for long periods, and influence matches over time.

“

I thought we did a brilliant job with the ball yesterday. We got 10 wickets in just under 50 overs, which is an amazing effort. In fact, if we had taken one or two catches, we might have been chasing early 300s, which might have changed the complexion of the game.